Stolen truck, contents worth $150K

August 26, 2013

Two Canton area residents were jailed Saturday for allegedly stealing a truck and equipment worth $150,000 from a lot in Belmont, W.Va.

According to a report from Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks, his office began an investigation Friday into the disappearance of a 2008 Ford box truck owned by IDS Hydro of Columbus. The vehicle had been parked on the Cytec Industries lot in Belmont and was reported missing by the Pleasants County, W.Va., Sheriff's Office.

The truck was valued at $50,000 and contained more than $100,000 of water blasting equipment, according to the sheriff's report.

On Saturday the truck and equipment were found at the Lane Farm Campground on Ohio 26 in Newport Township north of Marietta.

The investigation resulted in the arrest of two nearby campers, Debra M. Dean, 46, 131 Fifth St. N.E., Apt. 1113, Canton, and Russell A. Phillips, 42, also from Canton, and listed as homeless.

Both were charged with receiving stolen property, but Phillips was also charged with obstruction of justice as he tried to use another person's identification while being booked into the Washington County Jail.

Phillips is also listed as an habitual sex offender who had previously been convicted of rape and was on parole from the Lorain Correctional Institute. In addition there were felony warrants on file against Phillips for failure to report to his parole officer and failure to register a change of address as an habitual sex offender.

Dean and Phillips were placed in the Washington County Jail pending an appearance in Marietta Municipal Court today.